This dramatic footage shows the moment a woman and two children are winched to safety from the deck of blazing ferry.

The clearly terrified passenger, who is sitting in a rescue cage, is seen clutching on to her children, who are wrapped in protective clothing.

It comes as two Britons are believed to remain trapped on board the burning ship as rescue services battle gale force winds and high seas in a bid to save them.

Almost 500 passengers and crew are facing a desperate race against time as they are airlifted two by two from the blazing decks of the Norman Atlantic in the Adriatic.

As tugs and other small boats fire plumes of water in a bid to douse the flames, there are fears the ferry will sink before all are safe.

Concern: Britons Nicholas Channing-Williams and his fiancee Regina are believed to be on board (Image: Family Handout/PA Wire)

A cook on board has managed to phone his wife.

She told Greek journalists her husband told her: “I cannot breathe, we are all going to burn like rats - God save us.”

And a passenger told a Greek TV station: “On the lower deck, where the lifeboats are, our shoes were starting to melt from the heat.”

One man was killed when he plunged into the raging sea to escape the doomed ship. His body was later pulled from the water.

Anxious British mum Dotty Channing-Williams said her son Nicholas, who lives in Greece, was on board the Norman Atlantic with his fiancee Regina.

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She spoke to him by telephone when the fire broke out, but later lost contact.

“People in Greece are saying that their communications have been cut off, so as not to hamper rescue operations which I can fully understand,” she said.

“They’re keeping me updated via the news coming over the Greek television. But nevertheless it is very, very worrying and very scary.

“So I just hope that they will be able to get everybody off there as soon as possible.”

She said she had spoken to officials at the Home Office but had not had any direct contact with those in charge of the rescue operation.

When she spoke to her son he had been standing on the ferry’s top deck for seven hours “in the rain and thunder and lightning”.

He had begged his friends on the Greek mainland not to tell his mum of the drama because he did not want to worry her.

Fears: The ship had 500 passengers and crew on board when the fire broke out (Image: REUTERS/Skai TV via Reuters TV)

Mr Channing-Williams, 37, is one of two British nationals believed to have boarded the Italian-flagged Norman Atlantic.

The fire broke out early today on the car deck of the vessel as it sailed from the Greek port of Patras to Ancona, Italy, with 422 passengers and 56 crew on board.

British Ambassador to Greece John Kittmer said on Twitter: “We understand from the passenger manifest that two British nationals are believed to be on board.

“We are in close contact with the Greek authorities and are urgently seeking more information.

“We understand that the Greek authorities are working with the Italians, who are leading the rescue effort.”

Mr Channing-Williams, nicknamed “The Horseman” is a competitive show jumper and trains young riders in Greece.

His frightened mother Dotty, from Berkshire, said her son was taking a trip with his 33-year-old Greek fiancee Regina Theoffili.

“It’s hard, because I haven’t heard anything for a long time now,” she said.

She said her son’s friends and colleagues were watching Greek media for updates and keeping her up to date.

Mrs Channing-Williams last spoke to him directly at 11am today.

“He was really good, but then he would be. He wouldn’t want to worry me,” she said.

Damage: There are fears the vessel might sink

“As I got up and saw the television news this morning, which was early, I knew. I knew straight away. I knew that he was on that ferry,” she said.

“I know that he was in touch with the people in Greece and he said to them, ‘Please don’t tell my mum, because she’ll be so worried.’ ... And then he called me to let me know that he’s okay and that Regina’s okay.”

She said she had spoken with officials but was relying on media reports for updates.

“I told him it’s just so difficult because there’s no information” she said.

“He said Regina’s been amazing, she’s amazing in a crisis. She’s incredibly calm.

“She was going and talking to people, and saying it’s going to be all right.

The ship was packed with holidaymakers and truck drivers making the popular transport run between Greece and Italy.

Of those on board, 234 passengers and 34 crew were Greek.

Italian and Greek rescue helicopters struggled to reach the ferry as they were battered by 55mph winds.

Men, women and children were lifted two at a time from the vessel and a lifeboat with room for carrying about 150 passengers was lowered into the water.

Greek Merchant Marine Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis said: “ We are doing everything we can to save those on board and no one, no one will be left helpless in this tough situation.

“It is one of the most complicated rescue operations that we have ever done.”

Greek authorities sent five helicopters and a military transport plane to help the evacuation and Albanian rescuers also joined the operation.

The Norman Atlantic, which was also carrying more than 200 vehicles, was 44 nautical miles northwest of the island of Corfu when it radioed for help.

As darkness fell 317 people were still trapped on the blazing ferry.

A total of 161 had been plucked to safety by helicopter as questions were asked about why it is taking authorities so long to rescue the 478 passengers on board.

Gale force winds and high seas had apparently prevented rescue craft from safely approaching the boat.

Authorities said the only option was an airborne rescue, with two Greek and two Italian helicopters transferring two passengers at a time to the container ship Spirit of Piraeus anchored nearby.